CCTB 01.13 vs BBW 2025: reading a measurement rule

Two regions, two official references

A standard specification codes and describes works so that architect, contractor and administration speak the same language. In Belgium there are two, depending on the region of the site:

The measurement rule: what you count, not just how much

A unit price means nothing without the rule that defines the quantity. The « measurement rule » is the text that specifies the work actually counted. Walloon example for topsoil removal: « Net surface to strip: the area occupied by the built footprint, increased by one metre in all dimensions. »

It's a regional convention: two regions may measure the same work differently (deductions, over-widths, reservations below a threshold not deducted…). Reusing a price from one reference to the other without checking the rule risks a wrong take-off.

The nature of the contract: who bears the quantity risk

Alongside the rule, each item carries a « nature of the contract » that says how the quantity will be handled:

• QF (Walloon) / FH (Flemish) — fixed quantity: the contractor bears the risk, the quantity is not remeasured.
• QP (Walloon) / VH (Flemish) — presumed quantity: the quantity is remeasured jointly on site.
• PG (Walloon) / SOG (Flemish) — global price for a set.
• PM — pro memoria: item with no own price (included elsewhere).

Why it is contractual

The measurement rule and the chosen nature determine what will be invoiced. A vague rule or a badly chosen nature opens the door to disputes: the contractor counts one way, the client another.

Best practice: freeze the measurement rule at pricing time. The reference evolves (CCTB and BBW are updated); a signed quote must not be rewritten retroactively.

How to read a rule in practice

1. 1Find the item and its official code (e.g. 11.11.1a in the CCTB).
2. 2Read the unit (m², m³, piece…) — the basis of the count.
3. 3Read the nature of the contract (QF/QP or FH/VH) — it says whether the quantity will be remeasured.
4. 4Read the code de mesurage / meetcode text — it is authoritative on what you count.
5. 5Where the reference leaves a choice open, decide for YOUR project and note it.

With Afrimo

Afrimo integrates both official references — CCTB 01.13 and BBW 2025 — into the take-off screen. When you pick an item, you get the official code, the unit, the proposed nature and the measurement rule, carried and frozen onto the line item.

The cost stays yours: Afrimo does not publish Walloon or Flemish prices, it gives you the official structure to price accurately.